Parallels
by Shiseki-Kimagura
Summary: Gaang Jr. - It's hard to face an enemy when your enemy is someone like you. Check Profile for link.


Zuko sighed in annoyance as he endured another jibe about his weight, if it came from anyone else, he would have joined in on the laughter. Heck, he'd prefer it if Sokka made a witty quip about it. Anyone but her would do. As it stands, though…

"Oh come now Zuzu, don't be such a wet blanket." Azula leans forward and coos. "A grown man does not pout." Her right hand snakes over and pinches his cheek. "Oh sorry, it's just chubbiness there. Ah well, until Mother gets here from where she lives now tomorrow, I guess I'm the designated toddler-coddler." She smirks as the audience laughs heartily. Very few have seen the Fire Lord being roasted verbally as much as he is right now and no sane person can chide him and get away with it. That is, unless your name happens to be Azula.

The laughter dies down and Azula saunters away, waving at Zuko. "We'll talk later, dear brother." She calls out over her shoulder. "Maybe I'll give you some tips so you can lose the flab. In the meantime, I have an excitable little wolf pup to bark down." She moves to where Irah and her friends were sitting. Hayoda was juggling a few pieces of fruit, much to the audience's delight.

He sighs once more and looks around the banquet hall. Most of the people invited, like the Iron Sea Wolves and their parents, helped in solving the mess that involved Junren and his 'Rising Phoenix' organization. He really should be more careful about trusting people that are connected with anything 'Phoenix'-related. He could only be thankful to the spirits that the outcome wasn't as bloody as it could have been. All of the children were safe and alright. In fact, they did more than their fare share. They uncovered Junren's plot and destroyed his organization when it kidnapped the Avatar's daughter. He felt at ease at that. His daughter is in safe hands with friends that will go to great lengths like that for her. She's matured with them, to say the least, but he disapproves of the skimpy garb she's wearing now. She'll always be 'Daddy's Little Girl' in his eyes and she'll just have to live with it.

Zuko shakes his head as he felt, rather than saw, his wife, Mai, walk behind him.

"Hard to believe she's grown a lot hasn't she?" The Fire Lord addresses his wife without looking at her.

"Not really. Being out in the world teaches you things that no school can ever hope to bestow on their students." Mai quips calmly, as if it was a fact rather than an opinion.

"Still, it only feels like yesterday we were changing diapers." He turns to his wife and smiles." Pretty soon she'll be leading the Fire Nation."

"And most probably, she'll be doing it wearing something along the lines that follow that dress." She says with the sides of her lips twitching in a sign that at least she's joking. He hopes.

Both of them fall silent as they look at their daughter in contentment. After a while, the Fire Lord wraps his arms around the Fire Lady's waist and holds her closer. "It scares me Mai."

"…" She looks up questioningly at him.

"One day we'll grow old, and she won't need us anymore."

Mai leans close to kiss her husband in reassurance. "I know, Zuko. It scares me too," She smiles at him. "However, the only thing we can do right now is to be there for her. To watch her grow up, to be around her so we don't miss a moment."

He squeezes her with the arms around her waist as they continue to watch Irah. As she laughed at her friend's antics, the couple reminisced on the events that transpired yesterday. They received a message from Tom-tom saying that the children were on their way back from Lochan, where Junren's plans crumbled. Tom-tom noted that they could be considered heroes now, since they saved the world from being plunged into chaos. They'd be arriving the morning after. And they were bringing Azula with them, who were fully expecting a banquet to celebrate their return. Sure, she was exiled, never to return to her land, but this is a special occasion for all of them. He can look the other way in the meantime.

He breathed a huge sigh of relief when he got the news that he hugged and kissed Mai, then he arranged the party in short order. The hall was prepared and invitations were sent in less than a day. When they did arrive, the reunions were so emotionally-charged that even the stoic Mai broke down and cried tears of joy upon seeing their daughter. Even a joke about the sky falling was accepted and made the event better. Then he looked at Azula, who went to help them out of concern, or so she says. For a moment he tensed up, remembering the Azula of old, the heartless, manipulative child favored by their father. He shook out that image, and embraced her. Azula then did something that he never thought she'd do in a million years. She hugged back and hid her face on his chest, her shoulders shook, and stifled sobs could be heard. He figured it was because of the moment and the overflowing emotions all around. Or perhaps it's because at some point between the last times he saw her and now, she came across something to change her view on the world.

He was taken out of his reverie when his wife excused herself to talk with their guest. He saw Azula's calm expression as she quietly slipped away towards the courtyard. Zuko figured that she just wanted some fresh air. He could do with one too and since she did offer up to talk, he might as well take her up on that.

----

The evening sky was filled with stars and the moon was sitting high, illuminating the grounds and bathing it in a dull gray light. Azula wandered outside, away from the cheery atmosphere of the party, down to the steps leading to the courtyard, where she and Zuko last fought, as if it was from a lifetime ago. Looking at it now in its repaired state, it could've been just a part of a long dream. Her mind was fractured back then, broken like a shattered mirror. The last real memories she from that time had been from the Boiling Rock, where she fought Zuko. He escaped thanks to her trusted 'friends', Mai and Ty Lee. After that it was all a blur. There were visions of her fighting Zuko in a place were the buildings hung upside down, and her being alone at the palace, banishing people left and right. There was also a part there, she was sure that it was a dream, when she cut her hair and talked with Mother. And then there was this courtyard.

She shook her head and sat at the steps, letting her legs rest. Azula thought it was another part of her delusion. That her last fight, where she utterly and completely broke down, was not real. Yet staring at it now, she can feel the flames being thrown about, imagined her and Zuko fighting with all they have. She could almost hear the crackle of lightning as she threw bolt after bolt all round the courtyard. She could feel the chains being wrapped around her hands and being tied down. And she could feel her mind breaking itself in half at the exact moment where she finally cried out in anguish. She tore her gaze away, to look at the stars above and clear her head. Her mind cannot recall the events very clearly, but her body remembers. It remembers and it makes her sick to her stomach when it does. She saw the courtyard once and it already made her want to hurl. In fact, just knowing that the courtyard was there made her heart feel like it wanted to stop in it beat, to end her pain. She shivered at the thought and closed her eyes.

"Stupid crazy head..." She mumbled.

"It's cold out here. You want me to get something for you?"

Azula's eyes snapped open and she turned to see Zuko walking towards her. She gulped and turned away, fighting down the urge to sigh in relief. At least she had someone to distract her from her morbid thoughts.

"No thank you." She says softly. The she decides that it sounds too soft and looks back at him with a cool expression. "I'll be fine Zuzu." She shows him her hand with a flame dancing on her palm. "I've got plenty of heat to keep me warm, at least you don't need to what with your—"

"Enough with the fat jokes Azula, there's nobody here to laugh for you." Zuko cuts her off gruffly, still moving forward.

She sighs and shakes her head. "Party pooper." She mutters and goes back to looking at the sky, the courtyard still unbearable for her to see. "Sorry about the lame chubby jokes, though. I was saving the best ones for when you're really fat. I mean Uncle Iroh fat, you know?"

He grunted in reply. From the sounds of it, she figured he's right behind her, so she leaned as far as she could and laid her back against his shins.

"I mean it though. You're so bent out of shape. You should really try and get back those muscles you used to have."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." He crossed his arms, yet he made no indication to move away from her. "At least I don't look older than you."

Azula frowned as she looked at him for a moment. "Does that mean I'm the big sister now?" She remarked, and then she smiled slyly. "If that's the case, I get to boss you around and you have no choice but to listen."

Zuko smiles at her. "That's better, back to being my little snarky sister."

"I'm sure you're feeling the warm fuzzies for that." She raises an eyebrow, as if asking to prove her wrong.

The both of them fell silent in companionable silence. Finally, Zuko coughed politely and addressed Azula.

"Thank you, again. For saving Irah."

"Don't mention it, Zuzu. It's the least I can do. You have a great life going here. Spirits know you deserve after what you went through when we were young."

"As do you Azula. You really should settle down and have kids of your own."

Azula coughed, stifling a laugh. "Oh please, try imagining me with little versions of myself. I've already had a taste of it when those bratty snots dropped by my island a few times. I'd grow old faster if I have to deal with a whining and crying little bugger everyday, so no thank you."

Zuko smirked at her in amusement. "You say that now but wait until you have one. A baby can change a lot of things."

"Maybe. Maybe not. We won't know. Ty Lee would have to do in the meanwhile. She does need attention like a baby, after all." She smiled at him in return.

The Fire Lord then looked thoughtfully at her. "You really seem to be very fond of her, aren't you?"

"Well seeing as Ty Lee's the only one I get to see frequently these days, it's no surprise. Not to mention the fact that she and Toph were the ones who were there during my…rehabilitation." She stopped herself and fell silent.

At that she looked down, tucked both knees close and tightly shut her eyes. In Zuko's opinion, she never looked quite small and vulnerable as she did at that moment.

"For what it's worth, I really wish I could've done more to help you back then." He leant down and patted her back.

"Considering the alternatives of what you could have done otherwise, which is to let me rot in a dungeon cell or worse, what you did was more than enough." The former princess remarked quietly.

Unbidden, the first real memories after the blur of images following the Boiling Rock came at her. She remembered waking up in Ty Lee's arms, remembered the comforting presence she felt at that moment, remembered thinking to her self that everything would be alright. She then spent the next few days talking to both Toph and Ty Lee, discussing the details of what she can't recall. Mainly, the events after the battle at the Fire Nation Prison. She was horrified to learn of the monster she became during Sozin's comet. The catatonic shadow of herself when she was imprisoned in a mental institution. She opened her eyes, and as she stared at the courtyard, a more recent memory crossed her thoughts.

"I fought against someone." She began after a moment of silence. "His name was Fenghuang. He wanted to hurt you daughter. The way he talked was so dull and grave. He wasn't a man. It was like looking at a monster. It was like looking at what I must've been like during Sozin's comet."

Zuko was now sitting next to her, one arm draped over her shoulders. He glanced at Azula, whose eyes were glassy with unshed tears. He could only listen as sue kept on talking. "He didn't really have anything to live for, really. He said his family was gone, or dead most likely. He then devoted himself to the beliefs of another person. He believed it because there was nothing else to believe in. For him, there was nothing but that zealous thought, so I was sure that he could not be talked down from hurting Irah. I had to take him out."

She shook her head, trying to dispel the images, yet they still persisted. She felt her brother's arms tighten their grip, to comfort her and encourage her. And so she continued, hoping that saying it out loud would help her cope.

"I fought— we fought him. Katara and I. Even with the two of us, he was capable of matching our skills. I'm sure I got a few good hits, but still, he stood there like it was nothing. So I… so I started hitting him with lightning and… and he just took it. Didn't dodge it, didn't redirect it, he just stood there and took it!" Azula barker out a laugh as if it was some sort of joke to her.

"He said he can't feel it. He says it wasn't enough for him to feel the pain. He wanted more of the pain." She shook her head quickly. "I can't believe it. Here was someone who was so dead inside; there was nothing left for me to do. So I kept at it. Kept throwing and throwing lightning bolts at that monster. Then I heard his laugh and it scared the hell out of me. I just lost it, I think I panicked, but I still kept shooting at him. Then it hit me. Maybe I was like that during our last fight, Zuko. Maybe I was a walking, talking monster of creature!" She shook her head, and buried her face in her knees.

"No you weren't Azula. You were just confused." Zuko reached over and hugged her tighter, his voice hoarse with barely restrained emotions.

"You're just saying that!" Azula cried out. "You're trying to make me feel better. How could I be so sure of how bad I was back then? Maybe I was as messed up as Fenghuang. Someone who lived when he was in pain, who relished it, who wanted more of it, and maybe I wanted that as well?! So I kept at it, I was not going to think about it. I was going to fight, like I always did. I didn't let up on him. Next thing I knew, I blew a hole in his chest. I stopped, thinking it was finally over. But the monster! He just looked at it said something and stumbled over the edge and fell. I sent a lightning bolt at him just to be sure." She sniffled and rubbed at her eyes with her sleeves. Then she realized what she was doing and grimaced. "Don't you dare say anything, Zuko."

He stared at her in seriousness, and then he slowly nodded. She sighed and closed her eyes, willing the memories to stop. Yet…

"After that, I saw their face. They might've thought I was a monster then, the way I must've looked like after that fight. It was strange to me. They instead hugged me; first it was Irah, and then the rest. I didn't know who started it, but we just sat there and cried in each other's arms." Azula hugged her knees tighter and rubbed her eyes on top of her knees.

They were quiet for a long time, after that. The occasional sniffling was the only sound to be heard between the two siblings. Zuko, for his part, was keeping quiet, just rubbing her back and comforting her. Finally, Azula stood up and wiped her eyes clear of her tears. She gave Zuko a small smirk that looked more like a smile.

"I think I'm okay now, Zuzu. Thanks for the rub." She said.

"Don't worry about it. It's in the past now, right?" Zuko stood and dusted himself off as she nodded. "No one thinks your monster, by the way. They just wanted to let you know that you're not alone in this world. You have us. You have Irah. You have Mai. You have Ty Lee. All they see is Azula, the strong-willed, smart-mouthed, brave aunt who risked her neck out for them. It makes you a great person in their book." He cracked a smile at her.

"And you're not counting yourself in that rundown, Brother dear…" Azula remarked.

"Whatever we could've had was lost long ago. I am happy to see you and maybe we could work upon our relationship, if you want. You could stay here. The palace is your home as much as ours. I can maybe pull a few strings to remove your exiled status."

She went quiet and looked out at the courtyard, viewing it like as a scar that was healing. She smiled and shook her head. "That's a nice offer, but I'll like better it if you take the time out of your schedule to come to my island instead, Zuzu. I like my privacy a lot more than seeing your great moon face. Besides, Ty Lee would miss me, and I wouldn't want that to happen." He only smiled and nodded as he led her back inside.

And so, as both siblings rejoined the party, they felt like they were turning away from their past. They were burying the hatchet and were willing to make amends to be with each other, like they used to, when they were kids.

----

/End


End file.
